Invitative Letter: Remembering the Great Famine of 1958-1962: A 50th-Anniversary Conference
Dear Jun:
I would like to extend you a personal invitation to a special conference that I am co-sponsoring next week with the Heritage Foundation＇s Asian Studies Center.
In 2012 we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Great Chinese Famine, four years which killed at least 40 million people. This nationwide famine was not caused by bad weather or foreign plots, but by Mao＇s unfeasible and reckless agricultural policies during his Great Leap Forward. As history＇s most fatal famine, its death toll exceeded that of both World Wars combined, but ever since, the Chinese government has consistently withheld records of the devastation, twisting history to shirk the blame.
Half a century later, as the voices of the victims of the Great Famine disappear one by one, it is up to us to ensure this tragedy is not forgotten. This conference ensures that remaining survivors of the Great Famine share their harrowing stories, never before heard outside of China, while experts present their latest research on the tragedy without fear of persecution.
As a survivor of the Famine＇s starvation during my first years in the Laogai, I deem this act of remembering and teaching the past extremely important. I ask you to consider attending or covering any of the daytime presentations or the evening film premiere. Please see the agenda below and reply to RSVP.
Regards,
Founder & Executive Director
Laogai Research Foundation
AGENDA
Day 1, Heritage Foundation, 10am-4pm
Presentations by Jasper Becker (author of Hungry Ghosts); Lee Edwards, Ph.D. (Chairman of Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation; Frank Dikötter (author of Mao＇s Great Famine). Light lunch. Panel discussion of survivors and researchers*. RSVP for Day 1 here.
U.S. Film Premiere of Mao＇s Great Famine
Laogai Museum, Wed. Feb. 15, 6-7pm
Directed by Patrick Cabouat and Philippe Grangereau. Followed by a Q&A session with Frank Dikötter and another expert* featured in the film.
Day 2, Laogai Museum, 10am - 4pm
Presentations by experts Eva, Ding Shu, Song Yongyi, Guo Jian, Arieh Smith, Yao Shuping, Helen Sun. Light lunch. Filming of testimony by Chinese survivors.
勿忘1958-1962大饥荒50周年会议
敬爱的王军，
我诚挚地邀请您来将于下周举办的，由我和传统基金会的亚洲研究中心共同赞助的一次特殊的会议。
在2012年，我们纪念大饥荒结束50周年，在那4年的时间里，有4000万人死亡。这个全国范围的饥荒并不是由恶劣的天气引起，或是由外国势力策划的， 而是由毛泽东在大跃进期间制定的难以实施的，鲁莽的农业政策所引起的。作为一次历史上最致命的饥荒，这次的死亡人数已经超过了两次世界大战的人数总和。但是从那以后，中国政府就一直保留着这次饥荒的所有记录，同时歪曲历史来逃避指责。
半个世纪后，随着大饥荒的幸存者的声音越来越弱，现在由我们来确保这个悲剧不会被人们忘记。这次会议上，大饥荒的幸存者将会分享他们的悲惨的经验，这些从来未曾在海外被提起的经验，同时一些专家将会无惧迫害地展示他们关于这次饥荒的最新研究。
我在劳改基金会的第一年里，作为一个在饥荒中幸存的人，我十分重视这次活动中对过去历史的回忆和教导。请您出席或者参加任何一个在白天举行的演讲，或者参加晚上的电影首映。详情请参阅下面的日程，并答复邀请。
此致
敬礼
日程：
第一天，传统基金会，10am-4pm
由Jasper Becker和 Frank Dikötter做演讲；简单的午餐；幸存者和研究者的专题讨论会。
美国电影首映，《毛的大饥荒》
劳改博物馆，星期三，2月15日，6-7PM
第二天，劳改博物馆，10am-4pm
由专家Eva, Ding Shu, Song Yongyi, Guo Jian, Arieh Smith, Yao Shuping, Helen Sun做演讲；简单的午餐；中国幸存者的见证。
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